Stealing second and third

Setup

1. Pitcher on the mound, a catcher in full gear (helmet with mask, throat guard, chest protector, shin guards, cup), a first baseman holding, and a second baseman, shortstop and third baseman to cover.
2. A stand-in batter in a helmet stands in the box and does not swing. Every runner wears a helmet.
3. Runners line up behind first base in foul ground. One runner at a time takes a lead at first; when the rep at second is done, that runner leads off second for the steal of third.
4. Pitchers count every pitch and pickoff throw towards their daily limit; rotate pitchers every 10–12 pitches.
5. Everyone slides feet-first unless the coach says otherwise, and every slide is a bona fide slide: to the base, within reach of it, without changing path to hit the fielder (check your competition's rules).

How it runs

1. Steal of second: the runner takes their measured lead and reads the pitcher. Against a right-hander, go on the front heel lifting or the front shoulder moving toward home; against a left-hander, go when the front leg crosses toward home.
2. Crossover start: drop the right foot slightly, crossover with the left and run low for the first three steps.
3. Look in toward home after 3–4 strides to see if the ball was hit or in the dirt, then slide feet-first into the bag.
4. The coach times from the pitcher's first move to the runner's foot on second. Compare it with the pitcher's delivery time plus the catcher's pop time.
5. Steal of third: the next runner leads off second with a walking secondary lead. When the pitcher looks home and commits, the runner goes; the third baseman covers.
6. Mix in pickoff attempts and pitchouts, so runners must react, not guess. 4–5 steals each.

Coaching points

• Steal on the pitcher, not the catcher. A good jump beats a good arm.
• Know your numbers: if the pitcher's delivery is slow (about 1.5 seconds or more to the glove), the runner has a chance even against a strong arm.
• The lead must be the same size every time and let the runner get back on a pickoff with one crossover step and a dive.
• Third is often easier to steal than second because the runner can build a walking lead and the pitcher may not check them.
• Slide to the side of the bag away from the tag, on the base path, and pop up ready to advance on an overthrow.
• Know the game situation: do not steal third with two outs unless the jump is huge, because a runner on second scores on most singles anyway.

Common mistakes

• Leaving on the pitcher's head turn instead of the first move toward home.
• Standing up into the base and getting tagged high.
• Sliding late and jamming a leg into the bag, or sliding early and stopping short.
• A false step back toward first before the crossover.
• Changing path to slide into the fielder: an illegal slide that umpires can call as interference.